Zen Pinball THD: Realistic Pinball Optimized for Nvidia Tegra Devices

There is nothing like playing a good game of pinball at an arcade game. The feel of hitting the paddle button and shaking the table while the ball goes flying around in crazy directions. But sometimes there is no arcade center around or you just don’t have time. It’s not the same but Zen Studios has made their attempt to bring the most realistic pinball game optimized for Nvidia Tegra devices. It can never replace real pinball but this is the closest you can get on your mobile device.

Zen Pinball is free to download with a free Sorcerer’s Lair table and other tables for purchase. Currently they have Marvel Wolverine and Fantastic Four for purchase with more to come in the future. I like this option because it gives you a chance to play the full game for free. But the downside is that it will get expensive if you want to try a few tables. It would be great if there was an option to buy a package of tables at a discount price. Currently the in-app purchase model is popular in high-end games and this trend is likely to continue in the near future.

The graphics in Zen Pinball are high quality with realistic ball physics and responsive paddles. Paddle controls are easy with simple touch on either side of the screen. I turned the sensitivity to the highest level to get the most responsive paddle. You can play in both portrait or landscape but the table looks best in portrait mode. There are a few options for camera views that includes two regular and zoom static views. You can also choose views that follow the ball in regular or zoom. This was preferred because sometimes it’s hard to see the ball due to the business of the table.

The game is fun and realistic with lots of action, secret passages and levels. Each table has a rules sheet with tips and tricks so you can get the most points. You can compete with the best pinball players online with OpenFeint support. There is also a multiplayer Hot Seat mode with up to 4 players where you pass the game to the next player after each lost ball. So everyone in the room can get in on the pinball action. If you like pinball and own a Tegra tablet then there is no reason not try this game specially since it’s free.